JP6474312B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

  In a printing apparatus using an inkjet head, printing is performed by ejecting ink from the inkjet head onto a medium such as recording paper. However, if the ink does not dry well, the inks that have not been dried are mixed and colored. Degradation and image blur may occur. In particular, in a printing apparatus that discharges ink line by line in the main scanning direction while transporting media, such as a line printer, the amount of ink ejected with respect to the transport speed of the media increases, so that the ink is difficult to dry. . For this reason, some conventional printing apparatuses actively dry the ink ejected onto the medium in this way. For example, the ink jet apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a platen that can heat the medium, a cover that covers the conveyance path of the medium, and a fan that blows air between the cover and the recording medium. The ink ejected onto the medium is dried by heating with a platen and blowing air from a fan.

JP2013-119215A

  However, when the media transport path is covered with a cover, the cover becomes an obstacle when the media is set or a jam occurs, and it is difficult to smoothly perform the operations such as setting the media. In addition, since the cover is attached at a position where it can properly cover the conveyance path of the media, once the cover is removed, it is complicated to attach it again or to adjust it to the optimum position. As described above, when a cover portion that covers the conveyance path of the media is provided, there is a possibility that the maintainability of the printing apparatus is deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of improving the maintainability in the case where a cover portion that covers a conveyance path of media is provided.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus including a cover portion that covers at least a part of a conveyance path for conveying a recording medium, and the cover The part is characterized in that at least a part of a portion covering the transport path is configured to be expandable / contractible.

  In the present invention, since the area covering the transport path in the cover portion can be expanded and reduced as necessary by expanding and contracting the cover portion, the recording medium is set when the recording medium is set or when a jam occurs. The cover portion can be shortened in the conveying direction. Thereby, when setting a recording medium or clearing a jam, the degree to which a cover part becomes obstructive can be reduced. In addition, since the cover portion is provided so as to be able to be expanded and contracted in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, even if it is once moved from a state of covering the conveyance path, it can be easily returned to the original position, and the conveyance path can be easily A part of the cover can be covered. As a result, it is possible to improve maintainability when a cover portion that covers the conveyance path of the recording medium is provided.

  In the printing apparatus, it is preferable that the printing apparatus is an inkjet printing apparatus, and the conveyance path covered by the cover unit is a part where the recording medium after inkjet printing is conveyed.

  According to the present invention, since the transport path for transporting the recording medium after ink jet printing is covered by the cover portion, it is possible to improve the maintainability even when suppressing contamination or performing ink drying during ink jet printing. In other words, in ink jet printing, when the ink is not dry after printing, something is prevented from coming into contact with the recording medium and becoming dirty, or a device for drying the ink on the recording medium is arranged. In some cases, a cover portion is provided to cover a conveyance path through which the recording medium after printing is conveyed. As described above, when the printing apparatus is an inkjet printing apparatus, even when a cover portion is provided to cover a conveyance path through which the recording medium after inkjet printing is conveyed, the cover portion is configured to be expandable / contractable. Maintainability can be improved while enabling printing to be performed appropriately.

  In the printing apparatus, the cover portion is divided into at least a first divided body and a second divided body that are divided in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the first divided body and the second divided body. A rotating means for connecting the first divided body and the second divided body to be rotatable relative to the other is provided between the first divided body and the first divided body. It is preferable that the second divided body is configured so that at least one of the second divided bodies can be retracted from a position covering the transport path by relatively rotating by the rotating means.

  In the present invention, since the first divided body and the second divided body are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable by the rotating means, the cover portion can be expanded and contracted in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Can be easily obtained. As a result, it is possible to easily improve the maintainability when the cover portion that covers the transport path of the recording medium is provided.

  In the printing apparatus, it is preferable that the rotating unit is provided so that the first divided body and the second divided body can be folded.

  In the present invention, since the first divided body and the second divided body are foldably connected by the rotating means, the cover portion covering the conveyance path is contracted in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. By this, it is possible to save the space after being retracted from the conveyance path. As a result, the degree of obstruction of the cover during maintenance can be more reliably reduced, and the maintainability when the cover is provided can be more reliably improved.

  In the printing apparatus, the rotation unit includes a rotation shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the cover unit has a rotation direction in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. A rotation shaft is provided on one side across the rotation means, and a guide support portion is provided on the other side. The guide support portion is formed in a slit shape and guide means together with the guide portion into which the guide support portion enters. The guide portion guides the guide support portion when the cover portion is expanded and contracted, and the cover portion includes the first divided body and the second divided body, the rotating shaft and the It is preferably supported by the guide means so as to be able to expand and contract.

  In the present invention, since the cover part is supported on both sides in the main scanning direction by the rotation shaft and the guide means, the cover part can be stably expanded and contracted in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. As a result, it is possible to improve the maintainability when the cover portion is provided more reliably.

  In the printing apparatus, it is preferable that the rotating unit is a hinge, and the hinge is configured so that the cover does not protrude toward the conveyance path when the cover is expanded or contracted.

  In this invention, since the cover part can prevent the inward projection of the printing apparatus at the time of opening and closing by the rotating means and the guide means, the cover part comes into contact with the transport path and the recording medium, and the recording target It is possible to prevent the medium from being damaged. Further, since the cover portion is guided by the guide means at the time of opening and closing, the operation at the time of opening and closing can be performed smoothly. As a result, it is possible to improve the maintainability when the cover portion is provided more reliably.

  In the printing apparatus, the cover portion is divided into at least a first divided body and a second divided body that are divided in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the first divided body includes the covered portion. A sliding groove is provided along the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the second divided body is configured such that both end edges enter the sliding groove and slide along the sliding groove. It is preferable.

  In the present invention, the cover portion can be expanded and contracted with a simple configuration by providing a sliding groove and sliding the first divided body and the second divided body. In this case, the maintainability can be easily improved.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention has an effect that it is possible to improve maintainability when a cover portion that covers the conveyance path of the media is provided.

1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the drying apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which looked at the drying apparatus shown in FIG. 3 in the main scanning direction. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the heating body cover from the drying apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the widening duct shown in FIG. It is a top view of the cover part shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the drying apparatus which shows the state of the drying apparatus at the time of printing with a printing apparatus. It is a perspective view of the drying apparatus in the case of folding the drying apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the drying apparatus which shows the state which folded the drying apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus of the state which folded the drying apparatus. It is a modification of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and is explanatory drawing in the case of using a ventilation fan as a flow-path change means. It is a modification of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and is explanatory drawing in the case of using an intake fan as a flow-path change means. It is a modification of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and is a perspective view of the cover part in the case of making a cover part a slide type. It is a perspective view which shows the state which shrunk the cover part shown in FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a modification of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and is sectional drawing of a cover part at the time of providing only a hinge as a member for expanding and contracting a cover part. It is sectional drawing of the cover part which shows the state which folded the cover part shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the cover part which shows the state which folded the cover part shown in FIG. 17, and is explanatory drawing which shows another example of a folded state.

  Embodiments of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the printing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. The printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by attaching a drying device 20 to a printing apparatus body 2, and the printing apparatus body 2 includes a head 4, a platen 7, and a driving unit 10. ing. The printing apparatus main body 2 is arranged at an arbitrary arrangement position by grounding the leg 3 supporting the printing apparatus main body 2 to a desired position. The head 4 of the printing apparatus main body 2 can eject ink onto the medium 100 when printing on the medium 100 that is a recording medium. That is, the printing apparatus 1 is provided as a so-called inkjet printing apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink onto the medium 100. The head 4 included in the printing apparatus main body 2 can discharge ink while moving along a Y bar 5 extending in one direction. The movement direction of the head 4 performs printing by the printing apparatus 1. This is the main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure).

  The platen 7 is a mounting table on which the medium 100 is placed when ink is ejected onto the medium 100. The head 4 is disposed above the platen 7, and can discharge ink to the medium 100 from above the medium 100 placed on the platen 7.

  Further, the drive unit 10 can relatively move the positions of the head 4 and the medium 100. Since the medium 100 is wound up in a roll shape by the medium supply roller 13 that winds up the medium 100 before printing, the drive unit 10 is wound around the medium supply roller 13 during printing in the printing apparatus 1. The medium 100 is moved relative to the head 4 while being pulled out. The moving direction of the medium 100 relative to the head 4 by the driving unit 10 is a direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure) and the main scanning direction in the normal usage mode of the printing apparatus 1. It is in the scanning direction (X direction in the figure).

  The drive unit 10 that moves the medium 100 in the sub-scanning direction pulls the medium 100 from the medium supply roller 13 and sends the medium 100 to the head 4 side, and the medium 100 after ink is ejected from the head 4. A winding roller 12 for winding. The drive roller 11, the take-up roller 12, and the media supply roller 13 are all rollers whose rotation axes are oriented in the main scanning direction. The media supply roller 13 and the take-up roller 12 are both disposed below the platen 7. For this reason, the medium 100 is disposed from the lower side to the upper side from the medium supply roller 13 to the platen 7, and is disposed from the upper side to the lower side from the platen 7 to the take-up roller 12.

  The drive roller 11 and the take-up roller 12 of the drive unit 10 can both transmit power transmitted from an electric motor (not shown) as a power source. Can be rotated by power transmitted from the electric motor. The rotation direction is a direction in which the medium 100 can be sent from the drive roller 11 side to the take-up roller 12 side through the head 4 and the platen 7, and the take-up roller is faster than the rotation speed of the drive roller 11. The rotation speed of 12 is faster.

  Further, the drive roller 11 has an outer peripheral surface that is in contact with the medium 100, and the medium 100 that contacts the outer peripheral surface can be sent to the head 4 side by rotating about the rotation axis. As described above, the outer peripheral surface is the same as the driving roller 11 on the surface side opposite to the surface on which the driving roller 11 is in contact with the medium 100 at the position of the driving roller 11 where the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the medium 100. Is provided with a driven roller 14 in contact with the medium 100. That is, the medium 100 is passed from the medium supply roller 13 between the drive roller 11 and the driven roller 14 and in the direction between the head 4 and the platen 7. The driven roller 14 makes contact with the medium 100 by applying an urging force in a direction in which the medium 100 is pressed against the driving roller 11 while rotating with the movement of the medium 100 moving with the rotation of the driving roller 11. ing.

  The take-up roller 12 is disposed at a position downstream of the platen 7 in the moving direction of the medium 100 moved by the driving unit 10, that is, the conveying direction of the medium 100, and winds the medium 100 sent out by the driving roller 11. It is possible to take.

  A positioning roller 15 is provided between the take-up roller 12 and the platen 7 to apply a biasing force to the medium 100 so as to apply a tension to the medium 100 located between the take-up roller 12 and the platen 7. ing. The positioning roller 15 is in a position downstream of the platen 7 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, for example, contacts the same surface as the surface of the medium 100 that contacts the platen 7, and applies a biasing force to the medium 100. ing. Since the take-up roller 12 is disposed on the downstream side of the positioning roller 15 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, the portion located on the downstream side of the platen 7 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100 is connected to the upstream side of the positioning roller 15. The direction of conveyance is different on the downstream side. A path from the medium supply roller 13, passing between the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 14, passing over the platen 7, and going to the take-up roller 12 via the positioning roller 15 is a path for transporting the medium 100. There is a certain conveyance path 8.

  The drying device 20 included in the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is disposed on the downstream side of the portion where the head 4 is disposed in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, and is discharged from the head 4 in the medium 100. The ink is disposed opposite to the surface to which the ink adheres. Specifically, the drying device 20 is disposed so as to face the medium 100 positioned between the head 4 and the positioning roller 15 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100. That is, the drying device 20 is disposed opposite to a portion of the medium 100 that is disposed from the upper side to the lower side from the platen 7 toward the positioning roller 15 and the take-up roller 12. Further, the width of the drying device 20 in the main scanning direction is formed wider than the width of the medium 100 in the same direction.

  The drying device 20 includes a first heating body 21 and a second heating body 22 disposed below the first heating body 21. That is, the second heating body 22 is disposed on the downstream side of the first heating body 21 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100. Both the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are formed by extending in the main scanning direction, and are rotating means that rotate around a rotation axis extending in the main scanning direction of the head 4. They are connected to each other by a hinge 23. The hinge 23 is connected to the lower end portion of the first heating body 21 and the upper end portion of the second heating body 22 in a direction in which the rotation shaft extends in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium 100, thereby The first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are relatively rotatable about the rotation axis of the hinge 23. Since the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are relatively rotatable by the hinge 23 as described above, the drying device 20 can expand and contract in the direction along the transport path 8. It is possible.

  The first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are provided with a cover portion 25 on the surface facing the medium 100. The cover portion 25 is divided into at least a first cover portion 26 that is a first divided body and a second cover portion 27 that is a second divided body that are divided in the conveyance direction of the medium 100. And at least a part of the medium 100 at a position downstream of the head 4 in the transport direction. In other words, the cover unit 25 is formed so as to cover at least a part of the transport path 8 for transporting the medium 100, and covers a part of the transport path 8 where the medium 100 after inkjet printing is transported. . The cover portion 25 is configured such that at least a part of the portion covering the transport path 8 is freely expandable and contractible by the relative rotation of the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22.

  Specifically, the first cover part 26 is provided on the surface of the first heating body 21 that faces the medium 100, and the second cover part 27 faces the medium 100 of the second heating body 22. It is provided on the side surface. The first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 are both formed of a sheet metal member, and are disposed to face the medium 100 in a direction in which the plate thickness direction is close to the thickness direction of the medium 100. Has been. Since the cover portion 25 provided as described above is provided on the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 to which the hinge 23 is connected, in other words, the hinge 23 is connected to the cover portion 25. Has been. The hinge 23 is provided so that the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 can be folded. Thus, the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable with respect to the other by the hinge 23 disposed between the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27. By being rotated to at least one, at least one is configured to be retractable from a position covering the transport path 8.

  Further, the first heating body 21 is provided with a blower 40 that blows air to the space between the drying device 20 and the medium 100. The blower device 40 has a blower port 61 formed on the surface facing the medium 100, that is, the surface facing the platen 7, and the space between the drying device 20 and the medium 100 is It is possible to blow air from the blower opening 61. The air blowing port 61 of the air blowing device 40 is formed near the upper end of the surface of the drying device 20 on the side facing the medium 100.

  The blower 40 formed in this way is provided in a blower fan 45 that is a blower unit and a blower path in the blower fan 45, and a blower path changing wall portion that changes the blowing direction of the air blown from the blower fan 45. 60. Among them, the blower fan 45 is provided as a dry air flow supply unit that causes a dry air flow Fd (see FIG. 4) for drying the ink discharged to the medium 100 to flow between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25. It has been. The blower fan 45 operates when supplied with electric power, and generates wind inside the blower 40 to blow the preliminary air Ap (see FIG. 4) before becoming the dry air stream Fd. Is possible.

  Moreover, the ventilation path change wall part 60 is provided as a flow path change means for changing the flow direction in the stage where the dry air flow Fd is the preliminary air Ap. In detail, the ventilation path change wall part 60 is arrange | positioned in the upper side of the ventilation fan 45, and collides the preliminary air Ap ventilated from the ventilation fan 45 with the said ventilation path change wall part 60, and changes a flow direction. It is possible to do. Thereby, the ventilation path change wall part 60 can change the blowing direction of the preliminary air Ap blown upward from the blowing fan 45, and can change the direction of the wind toward the blowing port 61. That is, the blowing path changing wall section 60 changes the blowing direction of the wind generated inside the blowing device 40 to the direction of the blowing port 61 by directing the air blown from the blowing fan 45 downward. Is sent out from the air outlet 61 to blow air between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 as a dry air stream Fd.

  The drying device 20 is provided with a cord-like heater 28 that is a heating unit that heats at least one of the air blown from the blower fan 45 and the cover portion 25. The cord heater 28 is attached to the surface of the cover portion 25 opposite to the surface facing the medium 100, and is attached to both the first cover portion 26 and the second cover portion 27. ing. As described above, the cord-like heater 28 attached to the cover unit 25 heats the cover unit 25 with the dry air stream Fd blown between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25 by the blower 40. It is possible to heat through. The cord-like heater 28 can heat a region located between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 by heating the dry air stream Fd in this way.

  In the printing apparatus 1, a partition plate 18 that separates the air outlet 61 and the head 4 is provided between the air outlet 61 formed in the drying device 20 and the head 4 provided in the printing apparatus main body 2. The partition plate 18 is provided in the printing apparatus main body 2, and is provided on the downstream side of the head 4 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100 above the platen 7. The medium 100 placed on the platen 7 and conveyed from the head 4 side to the side where the positioning roller 15 and the take-up roller 12 are located is conveyed between the partition plate 18 and the platen 7.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drying apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the drying apparatus shown in FIG. 3 as viewed in the main scanning direction. The drying device 20 is attached to the printing apparatus main body 2 by attachment members 75 disposed at both ends of the drying device 20 in the main scanning direction. The attachment members 75 are provided at two positions on both sides of the drying device 20 in the main scanning direction, and extend from both end portions of the drying device 20 in the direction in which the printing apparatus main body 2 is located when viewed from the drying device 20. Yes.

  In the drying device 20, the rotation connecting portion 24, which is a rotation shaft provided near the lower end of the second heating body 22, rotates with respect to the attachment member 75 at both ends of the second heating body 22 in the main scanning direction. It is connected freely. Since the rotation connecting portion 24 is formed to protrude in the main scanning direction, the second heating body 22 connected to the attachment member 75 by the rotation connecting portion 24 is a rotation connection extending in the main scanning direction. It is connected so as to be rotatable about the axis of the portion 24.

  Further, a side plate 70 that is a guide plate is attached to the attachment member 75 above the portion to which the rotation connecting portion 24 is connected. The side plates 70 are provided at two locations on both sides of the drying device 20 in the main scanning direction, similarly to the attachment member 75. The first heating body 21 is provided with guide support portions 73 protruding in the main scanning direction in the vicinity of the upper ends of both end portions of the first heating body 21 in the main scanning direction. As described above, the guide support portion 73 provided on the first heating body 21 side and the rotation connecting portion 24 provided on the second heating body 22 side sandwich the hinge 23 in the transport direction of the medium 100 in the cover portion 25. It is arranged on both sides. That is, the cover portion 25 is provided with the rotation connecting portion 24 on one side with the hinge 23 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, and the guide support portion 73 on the other side.

  Further, the side plate 70 is a guide portion into which the guide support portion 73 enters, and an open / close guide 71 that forms the guide means 78 together with the side plate 70 and the guide support portion 73 is formed. The open / close guide 71 is formed in a slit shape, and guides the guide support portion 73 when the first heating body 21 is rotated relative to the second heating body 22 by the hinge 23. Thus, the first heating body 21 is provided as a guide portion that guides when the first heating body 21 rotates. That is, the open / close guide 71 can guide the guide support portion 73 when the cover portion 25 is expanded or contracted. The cover portion 25 includes a guide means 78 including a guide support portion 73 provided on the first heating body 21 side, and a rotation connecting portion 24 provided on the second heating body 22 side. 26 and the 2nd cover part 27 are supported so that expansion / contraction is possible.

  Moreover, the heating body cover 30 which is these covers is provided in the 1st heating body 21 or the 2nd heating body 22. FIG. The heating body cover 30 is provided on the surface of the first heating body 21 or the second heating body 22 opposite to the surface on which the cover portion 25 is provided. Specifically, the first heating body 21 is provided with a first heating body cover 31 as the heating body cover 30, and the second heating body 22 is provided with a second heating body cover 32 as the heating body cover 30. .

  The first heating body cover 31 and the second heating body cover 32 are respectively surfaces of the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 that are located on opposite sides of the surface on which the cover portion 25 is provided. It is formed over the whole. Of the first heating body cover 31 and the second heating body cover 32, the first heating body cover 31 uses the printing apparatus 1 when rotating the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22. A handle 35 that is held by a person is provided. The handles 35 are provided at two positions on the upper half side of the first heating body cover 31, and the two handles 35 are symmetrical about the center of the first heating body cover 31 in the main scanning direction. It is provided in a C shape at the position. In other words, the two handles 35 are provided at positions where the user can easily grasp them with both hands.

  The blower 40 is disposed in the first heating body cover 31 and is disposed near the upper end in the space defined by the first heating body cover 31 and the first cover portion 26. The blower path change wall 60 is provided with the upper end portion of the first heating body cover 31 as the blower path change wall 60. Between the blower fan 45 and the blower path changing wall portion 60, a widening duct 50 and a rectifying plate 55, which will be described later, are provided.

  Further, the upper end portion of the first heating body cover 31 wraps around to the surface side where the first cover portion 26 is located, and is formed so as to be closer to the platen 7 than the first cover portion 26. Thereby, the surface of the first heating body 21 on the side of the first cover portion 26 has a portion closer to the platen 7 than the first cover portion 26 in the first heating body cover 31 and the first cover portion 26. An air gap is formed between them, and this air gap is formed as the air outlet 61. Since the air outlet 61 is thus formed by the portion near the upper end of the first heating body cover 31 and the first cover portion 26, the air outlet 61 is opened substantially downward. The inner side and the outer side of the heating body 21 are communicated.

  In this way, the space defined by the platen 7 and the surface on the side where the cover portion 25 is located in the drying apparatus 20 in which the air blowing port 61 is provided on the surface on which the platen 7 is located is the wind sent from the air blowing port 61. It is formed as a ventilation path 90.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the heating body cover is removed from the drying apparatus shown in FIG. 3. In both the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22, a heat insulating material 38 is disposed in a portion where the heating body cover 30 is located with respect to the cover portion 25. The heat insulating material 38 is formed so as to have a low thermal conductivity, and is disposed so as to cover the entire cover portion 25 in the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22.

  A plurality of blowers 40 provided in the first heating body 21 are provided side by side in the main scanning direction, and each blower 40 includes a blower fan 45 and a widening duct 50. The widening duct 50 is formed in a fan shape that widens the preliminary air Ap blown from the blower fan 45 in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the medium 100, that is, in the main scanning direction. Specifically, the blower fan 45 is attached to the widening duct 50, and the width of the widening duct 50 increases in the main scanning direction from the position where the blower fan 45 is disposed toward the upper end side of the first heating body 21. It is formed in a fan shape that widens in the spreading direction. Since each widening duct 50 is formed in a fan shape in this way, the multiple widening ducts 50 are arranged in the main scanning direction inside the first heating body 21.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the widening duct shown in FIG. The widening duct 50 is formed by combining a fan side member 51 located on the first heating body cover 31 side and an air outlet side member 52 located on the first cover portion 26 side. The fan side member 51 and the air outlet side member 52 are both formed in a fan shape or a trapezoidal shape, and the shapes when viewed in the substantially sub-scanning direction are formed in shapes that are similar to each other. The widening duct 50 is formed with a space inside by combining the fan side member 51 and the air outlet side member 52. Further, the widening duct 50 is provided with inclined surfaces 53 erected in the thickness direction of the first heating body 21 at both ends in the main scanning direction in the portion widened in the main scanning direction. The space inside the widening duct 50 is closed with respect to the main scanning direction.

  On the other hand, the fan side member 51 and the air outlet side member 52 are both trapezoidal in height, and the height of the air outlet side member 52 is lower than the height of the fan side member 51. In addition, the fan-side member 51 is formed with a wall surface standing in the thickness direction of the first heating body 21 at the end portion on the widening side of the widening duct 50. A portion defined by an end portion on the wide side of the air outlet side member 52 and a wall surface standing in the thickness direction of the first heating body 21 at an end portion on the wide side of the fan side member 51 is widened. The widened duct opening 54 is an opening of the duct 50. The space inside the widening duct 50 communicates with the outside of the widening duct 50 through the widening duct opening 54. The widening duct 50 attached to the first heating body 21 is attached such that the widening duct opening 54 is positioned in the vicinity of the air blowing port 61 and the widening duct opening 54 and the air blowing port 61 communicate with each other. The blower fan 45 is attached to the fan-side member 51 and can blow air into the space inside the widening duct 50.

  In the fan-side member 51, the wall surface that is located at the end portion on the widening side of the widening duct 50 and is erected in the thickness direction of the first heating body 21 is blown together with the upper end portion of the first heating body cover 31. A path changing wall 60 is configured. For this reason, the widening duct opening 54 is formed adjacent to the blowing path changing wall 60.

  Inside the widened duct 50 thus formed, there are a plurality of rectifying plates extending in the flow direction of the preliminary air Ap blown from the blower fan 45 in the vicinity of the widened end, that is, in the vicinity of the widened duct opening 54. 55 are provided side by side in the widening direction. The rectifying plate 55 has a thickness direction that is a widening direction of the widening duct 50, and a width direction that is a trapezoidal height direction that is the shape of the fan side member 51 or the air outlet side member 52. And the air outlet side member 52.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view of the cover portion shown in FIG. The cord-like heater 28 attached to the cover portion 25 is provided over the entire width direction of the medium 100 in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the medium 100. Specifically, the cord-like heater 28 is disposed along the main scanning direction with respect to the cover portion 25 and is folded back in the vicinity of the end of the cover portion 25 in the main scanning direction so as to be along the main scanning direction. The portions to be disposed are disposed side by side in the vertical direction. Thereby, the cord-like heater 28 is disposed over the entire area of the cover portion 25, that is, the cord-like heater 28 is disposed in the entire area of both the first cover portion 26 and the second cover portion 27. It is arranged over.

  Both the drying apparatus 20 and the printing apparatus main body 2 configured as described above are controlled by a control unit (not shown) provided in the printing apparatus main body 2. The control unit is a device that controls each unit of the printing apparatus 1, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that functions as a controller that executes various processes and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a memory that stores various types of information. And a ROM (Read Only Memory). The control unit controls printing on the medium 100 by the printing apparatus main body 2 and operation for drying the printed medium 100 by the drying apparatus 20.

  The printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has the above configuration, and the operation thereof will be described below. When printing on the medium 100 by the printing apparatus 1, the medium 100 wound in a roll shape on the medium supply roller 13 is pulled out from the medium supply roller 13 and passed between the head 4 and the platen 7. Printing is performed in a state in which the medium supply roller 13 and the take-up roller 12 are arranged.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drying device showing a state of the drying device during printing by the printing device. In addition, when printing is performed using the printing apparatus 1, the drying apparatus 20 in which the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 rotate relatively includes the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22. Are opened so that both cover portions 25 face the medium 100. Specifically, the guide support portion 73 provided in the first heating body 21 is guided when the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are opened in the open / close guide 71 formed in the side plate 70. It is made to position in the engaging part 72 which is a position into which the support part 73 enters. As a result, in the drying apparatus 20, the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are opened, and the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 both face the medium 100.

  Printing on the medium 100 by the printing apparatus 1 is performed by ejecting ink from the head 4 to the medium 100. At that time, the control unit moves the head 4 back and forth in the main scanning direction by moving the head 4 along the Y bar 5. As a result, the head 4 ejects ink onto the medium 100 on the platen 7 while reciprocating in the main scanning direction, causes the ink to land on the medium 100, and prints on the medium 100.

  When printing in a predetermined range in the main scanning direction by the head 4, the control unit controls the drive unit 10 to operate the drive roller 11 and the take-up roller 12 to wind the media 100 from the media supply roller 13 side. Move to the take-up roller 12 side by a predetermined amount of movement. That is, the medium 100 is moved with respect to the head 4 by a predetermined movement amount in the sub-scanning direction. When the medium 100 is moved, printing of a predetermined range in the main scanning direction is performed by ejecting ink from the head 4 while moving the head 4 again in the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus 1 performs printing on the medium 100 by repeating these steps.

  Since the printing apparatus 1 performs printing while transporting the medium 100 in the sub-scanning direction as described above, the medium 100 after ink landing is sent to a position facing the drying apparatus 20. In the drying device 20, when printing is performed by the printing device 1, the cord-like heater 28 generates heat, and the blower fan 45 generates wind by the preliminary air Ap. When the cord-like heater 28 generates heat, the heat generated by the cord-like heater 28 is transmitted to the cover portion 25, and this heat is transmitted to the entire cover portion 25 made of a metal material. Thereby, the temperature of the cover part 25 rises as a whole.

  Further, the preliminary air Ap generated by the blower fan 45 and blown from the blower fan 45 is blown toward the space between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25 after the blowing direction is changed by the blower path changing wall portion 60. The Specifically, the preliminary air Ap blown from the blower fan 45 is first sent into the widening duct 50. Since the widened duct 50 has a widened duct opening 54 formed on the widened end side, the preliminary air Ap sent into the widened duct 50 is in the direction in which the widened duct opening 54 is located, that is, It flows to the end side of the widened side.

  Since a plurality of rectifying plates 55 are arranged inside the widening duct 50, the preliminary air Ap that flows toward the widened duct opening 54 in the widening duct 50 flows between the rectifying plates 55. By passing, it is rectified. That is, the preliminary air Ap flowing in the widening duct 50 is smoothly rectified by the rectifying plate 55, and smoothly flows toward the end portion in the widening duct 50 in a state where the turbulence is reduced.

  The preliminary air Ap that has reached the widened duct opening 54 side that is widened in the widened duct 50 by flowing in the widened duct 50 in this way is the widened duct opening that is located in the vicinity of the blowing path changing wall 60. It is sent out of the widening duct 50 through 54.

  The preliminary air Ap that has flowed out of the widening duct 50 through the widening duct opening 54 from the inside of the widening duct 50 is guided in the direction of the blowing port 61 while being guided by the blowing path changing wall 60 in the first heating body cover 31. Head. The air directed toward the air outlet 61 passes through the air outlet 61 and is sent out of the first heater 21 to the outside of the first heater 21. Since the blower opening 61 is opened substantially downward, the air sent from the blower opening 61 is sent downward. Thereby, the preliminary air Ap sent from the blower port 61 is blown toward the space between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25 as a dry air stream Fd for drying the ink discharged to the medium 100.

  The blower fan 45 blows air only into the widening duct 50, and the spare air Ap in the widening duct 50 is sent out only from the widening duct opening 54, so that the blower fan 45 provides a space between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25. All the air blown toward is air after the blowing direction is changed by the blowing path changing wall portion 60. That is, the air blown from the blower fan 45 is changed in the blower direction by the blower path changing wall 60 at the stage of the preliminary air Ap, and is sent to the blower path 90 between the medium 100 and the cover part 25 as the dry air stream Fd. Be blown.

  Thus, since the temperature of the cover portion 25 that constitutes the air flow path 90 together with the medium 100 is high due to the heat generated by the cord-like heater 28, the dry air flow Fd flowing through the air flow path 90 is also radiated from the cover portion 25. The temperature rises due to heat. While the air blown from the blower fan 45 is successively sent downward from the blower opening 61 to the blower path 90, the air whose temperature has risen due to the radiant heat from the cover portion 25 tends to move upward. For this reason, the dry air stream Fd of the ventilation path 90 is stirred while the temperature rises.

  When printing is performed by the printing apparatus 1, the medium 100 on which the ink ejected from the head 4 has landed is transported from the platen 7 to the take-up roller 12 side by the driving unit 10, thereby moving to the air blowing path 90. The ink on the medium 100 that has moved to the blowing path 90 after landing of the ink ejected from the head 4 may not be dried at the position of the blowing path 90, but the temperature of the dry air stream Fd in the blowing path 90 is high. It is stirred in a high state. For this reason, the medium 100 located in the ventilation path 90 is entirely heated while the vapor generated when the ink is evaporated is removed by the dry air stream Fd that is stirred in a state in which the temperature of the entire medium is high. As a result, the ink on the medium 100 ejected from the head 4 and landed on the medium 100 is appropriately dried in the medium 100 located in the air blowing path 90.

  Note that most of the air blown from the blower opening 61 of the drying device 20 to the blower passage 90 is directed downward, but when the air volume is large, the air flow is disturbed, so that it is directed upward. There is also. In this case, it is conceivable that a part of this air is directed toward the head 4 of the printing apparatus main body 2, but the printing apparatus main body 2 is provided with a partition plate 18 that separates the air outlet 61 and the head 4. Therefore, the air toward the head 4 is blocked by the partition plate 18.

  The media 100 having the ink dried by the dry air stream Fd, which is the air blown from the drying device 20 to the blower path 90, is transported by the drive unit 10, and then sequentially moves in the direction of the take-up roller 12 and is taken up. The roller 12 is wound up. When printing on the medium 100 by the printing apparatus 1, printing is performed by the printing apparatus body 2 as described above, the medium 100 is transported, and the ink on the medium 100 is dried by the drying apparatus 20. Printing is continuously performed on the medium 100.

  In the above embodiment, the air blown to the blowing path 90 is heated by the heater provided in the cover part 25, but the heating means is limited to the heater provided in the cover part 25. Instead of this, a method of directly heating the airflow, such as heating the airflow before the direction is changed by the blower path changing wall 60 or after the direction is changed, may be applied.

  When printing by the printing apparatus 1 is completed, the drying apparatus 20 is closed as necessary. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the drying device when the drying device shown in FIG. 8 is folded. When the drying device 20 is folded, the first heating body engaged with the engaging portion 72 formed on the open / close guide 71 of the side plate 70 by grasping and pulling up the handle 35 provided on the first heating body 21. The first heating body 21 is rotated relative to the second heating body 22 so that the guide support portion 73 of 21 is moved along the opening / closing guide 71.

  Specifically, the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 are rotated in a direction approaching horizontal by moving the guide support part 73 along the opening / closing guide 71 in a direction in which the guide support part 73 moves downward. In this case, the second cover portion 27 is rotated relative to the attachment member 75 around the rotation connecting portion 24, and the first cover portion 26 is relative to the second cover portion 27 by the hinge 23. Rotate. Thereby, the 1st cover part 26 and the 2nd cover part 27 oppose and rotate in the direction which mutually approaches.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the drying device showing a state in which the drying device shown in FIG. 9 is folded. When the guide support portion 73 provided on the first heating body 21 reaches the lower end of the open / close guide 71 formed on the side plate 70 by relatively rotating the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22. The guide support portion 73 can no longer be moved downward. In the drying apparatus 20, this state is a state in which the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are folded. The first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 that can be folded in this way are configured to be connected by a hinge 23 so that the cover section 25 does not protrude toward the conveying path 8 when the cover section 25 is expanded or contracted. . Therefore, when the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are folded and contracted in the transport direction of the medium 100, the end portions on the side connected to the hinges 23 are in a direction away from the platen 7. In this direction, the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 rotate relatively. Therefore, in a state where the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are folded, the first cover portion 26 faces substantially downward and the second cover portion 27 faces substantially upward. The two cover portions 27 are substantially opposed to each other. In other words, when the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are folded, the drying device 20 folds the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 positioned inside.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus with the drying apparatus folded. When the drying device 20 is folded by shrinking the cover unit 25 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, at least one of the first cover unit 26 and the second cover unit 27 is retracted from a position covering the conveyance path 8. become. Thereby, in the printing apparatus 1, a part of the platen 7 of the printing apparatus body 2 on the drying apparatus 20 side is exposed. For this reason, when the drying device 20 is folded, maintenance such as drawing the medium 100 from the printing device main body 2 onto the platen 7 and setting it on the take-up roller 12 via the positioning roller 15 is facilitated. In particular, when the partition plate 18 is provided, it is difficult for the operator to contact the platen 7, and therefore, the effect of partial reduction from the position covering the transport path 8 of the cover portion 25 is further increased.

  When the medium 100 is set in the printing apparatus main body 2 and printing is started, the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 are expanded by expanding the cover portion 25 in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, and the conveyance path. Printing is performed in a state where a part of 8 is covered with the cover portion 25 (see FIG. 4). The drying device 20 is preferably provided with a biasing means such as a spring that applies a biasing force in the extending direction to the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 in a folded state. . As a result, the initial movement when the first heating body 21 and the second heating body 22 in the folded state are expanded can be assisted by the urging force from the urging means, and can be expanded with a small force. can do.

  In the printing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the cover portion 25 (drying device 20) can be expanded or contracted by folding, so that the area covering the transport path 8 in the cover portion 25 can be expanded or reduced as necessary. When setting 100 or when a jam occurs, the cover 25 can be shortened in the transport direction of the medium 100. Thereby, when the media 100 is set or when the jam is eliminated, the degree of the cover unit 25 being in the way can be reduced. Further, since the cover portion 25 is provided so as to be able to be expanded and contracted in the transport direction of the medium 100, even if it is once moved from a state of covering the transport path 8, it can be easily returned to the original position, and the transport path can be easily performed. A part of 8 can be covered with the cover portion 25. As a result, it is possible to improve maintainability when the cover portion 25 that covers the conveyance path 8 of the medium 100 is provided.

  Further, by covering the part of the transport path 8 where the medium 100 after ink-jet printing is transported with the cover unit 25, something comes into contact with the medium 100 on which the ink has not dried and becomes dirty. Or a drying device 20 for drying the ink can be provided. As a result, maintainability can be improved while enabling ink jet printing to be performed appropriately.

  In addition, since the first cover portion 26 and the second cover portion 27 are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable by a hinge 23, a structure that allows the cover portion 25 to expand and contract in the transport direction of the medium 100 is easy. Can get to. As a result, it is possible to easily improve maintainability when the cover portion 25 that covers the conveyance path 8 of the medium 100 is provided.

  Further, since the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 are foldably connected by a hinge 23, the cover part 25 covering the transport path 8 is transported by being contracted in the transport direction of the medium 100. The space after retreating from the path 8 can be saved. As a result, the degree of obstruction of the cover portion 25 during maintenance can be more reliably reduced, and the maintenance performance when the cover portion 25 is provided can be more reliably improved.

  Further, since the cover portion 25 is supported on both sides in the main scanning direction by the rotation connecting portion 24 and the guide means 78, the cover portion 25 can be stably expanded and contracted in the transport direction of the medium 100. . As a result, the maintainability when the cover portion 25 is provided can be improved more reliably.

  Further, the cover 25 can prevent the printing device 1 from projecting inward, that is, projecting in the direction of the platen 7 by the hinge 23 and the guide means 78, so that the cover 25 can be transported in the transport path. 8 and the media 100 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, since the cover portion 25 is guided by the guide means 78 during opening and closing, the cover portion 25 can be smoothly opened and closed. As a result, the maintainability when the cover portion 25 is provided can be improved more reliably.

  Further, the cover portion 25 fixes the position in the vertical direction of the rotation connecting portion 24 provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the second cover portion 27, and retracts by retracting downward when retracting from the transport path 8. Therefore, the degree of opening of the transport path 8 can be increased as compared with the case where the cover portion 25 is retracted upward. As a result, it is possible to more easily perform the setting of the medium 100, the recovery of the jam, and the like, and it is possible to further improve the maintainability.

  In addition, since the first cover part 26 and the second cover part 27 both remain at a substantially horizontal angle, the cover part 25 is not folded when the cover part 25 is retracted from the transport path 8. It can suppress moving too much downward. As a result, useless movement at the time of expansion / contraction of the cover part 25 can be suppressed.

[Modification]
In the printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above, the air blown between the cover unit 25 and the medium 100 from the blower fan 45 is blown between them, and then is corded via the cover unit 25. Although heated by the heater 28, the heated air may be blown between the cover portion 25 and the medium 100. For example, the cord-like heater 28 may be disposed in the widening duct 50, and air heated in the widening duct 50 may be sent between the cover portion 25 and the medium 100 by sending it out from the blower opening 61. . If the air blown between the cover part 25 and the medium 100 is air whose blowing direction is substantially downward by changing the blowing direction by the blowing path changing wall 60, the heating timing is Either before or after blowing between them may be used.

  Moreover, in the printing apparatus 1 which concerns on embodiment mentioned above, although the ventilation path change wall part 60 is used as a flow-path change means which changes the flow direction of the preliminary air Ap, as a flow-path change means, a ventilation path change wall is used. Parts other than the unit 60 may be used. FIG. 12 is a modified example of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram when a blower fan is used as the flow path changing unit. As the flow path changing means, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a blower fan 110 as a blower means may be disposed above the first cover portion 26, and this blower fan 110 may be used as the flow path changing means. . The blower fan 110 in this case is provided as both a dry air flow supply unit that causes the dry air flow Fd to flow between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 and a flow path changing unit. Specifically, the blower fan 110 is disposed so that air can be blown to the blower path 90 from above the blower path 90 between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25. At that time, the blower fan 110 is arranged so that the rising airflow is directed toward the blower surface of the blower fan 110 when the preliminary air Ap on the opposite side of the cover 100 to the medium 100 side is heated. To do.

  As a result, when the spare air Ap on the opposite side of the cover 100 to the medium 100 side is heated by the cord-like heater 28 disposed in the cover 25, the temperature of the spare air Ap is increased. The blower fan 110 blows air between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25. That is, the blower fan 110 changes the flow direction of the heated preliminary air Ap to send the preliminary air Ap between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25 as a dry air stream Fd. The dry air stream Fd sent between the medium 100 and the cover part 25 is also heated by the cord-like heater 28 in this part, and the temperature becomes high. Thus, the dry air stream Fd can be easily blown between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25, and the ink on the medium 100 can be easily dried by the dry air stream Fd.

  Further, the flow path changing means may change the flow direction of the preliminary air Ap by sucking air. FIG. 13 is a modified example of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram when an intake fan is used as the flow path changing unit. As the flow path changing means, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, an intake fan 120 that is an intake means may be disposed below the second cover portion 27, and the intake fan 120 may be used as the flow path changing means. . In this case, the intake fan 120 is provided as both a dry air flow supply means for causing the dry air flow Fd to flow between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 and a flow path changing means. Specifically, the intake fan 120 is disposed so that the dry air stream Fd in the air blowing path 90 can be sucked from below the air blowing path 90 between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25. In this case, the upper end portion of the first heating body cover 31 covers up to the upper side of the first cover portion 26, and the preliminary air Ap on the opposite side of the first cover portion 26 to the media 100 side does not flow upward, and the media Preferably, it is formed so as to flow in a portion between 100 and the cover portion 25.

  By providing the intake fan 120 in this way, the intake fan 120 sucks the dry air flow Fd in the air supply path 90 between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 from below the air supply path 90 and causes the air to flow downward. Can do. When the dry air stream Fd in the air blowing path 90 is flowed downward, a negative pressure is generated in the air blowing path 90, and therefore, the preliminary air Ap on the opposite side of the first cover portion 26 from the medium 100 side is 1 flows from the upper end side of the cover part 26 into the air blowing path 90 between the medium 100 and the cover part 25. That is, the intake fan 120 changes the flow direction of the preliminary air Ap on the opposite side of the cover 25 from the medium 100 side by sucking the dry air flow Fd between the medium 100 and the cover 25. A dry air stream Fd is fed between the medium 100 and the cover unit 25. Since this preliminary air Ap is heated by the cord-like heater 28 disposed in the cover portion 25 and has a high temperature, the dry air stream Fd flowing between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25 also has a high temperature. ing. In addition, the dry air stream Fd is heated by the cord-like heater 28 at a portion between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25, and the temperature becomes high. Thus, the dry air stream Fd can be easily blown between the medium 100 and the cover portion 25, and the ink on the medium 100 can be easily dried by the dry air stream Fd.

  Further, in the printing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the cover unit 25 included in the drying device 20 is expanded or contracted by the relative rotation of the first cover unit 26 and the second cover unit 27 about the hinge 23. However, the cover portion 25 may be configured to expand and contract other than relative rotation between the first cover portion 26 and the second cover portion 27.

  FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cover unit in the case where the cover unit is a slide type, which is a modification of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state where the cover portion shown in FIG. 14 is contracted. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. When the cover part 130 is configured to be able to expand and contract, a plurality of members of the cover part 130 may be configured to be relatively slidable. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 16, the cover 130 includes a first cover 131 that is a first divided body divided in the conveyance direction of the medium 100 and a second cover that is a second divided body. It may be configured to be expanded and contracted by being divided into a portion 134 and a third cover portion 137 that is a third divided body and sliding relatively in the transport direction of the medium 100.

  Specifically, the first cover portion 131 is provided with sliding grooves 132 formed along the conveyance direction of the medium 100 at both ends in the main scanning direction. Both of the sliding grooves 132 are formed to open toward the center of the first cover portion 131 in the main scanning direction. Specifically, the first cover portion 131 has both end portions in the main scanning direction folded back toward the center of the first cover portion 131 in the main scanning direction, and the inside of the folded portion is the sliding groove 132. It is formed as.

  The second cover part 134 is arranged such that both end edges 136 in the main scanning direction enter the sliding groove 132 of the first cover part 131. That is, the width of the second cover part 134 in the main scanning direction is slightly smaller than the distance between the groove bottoms of the two sliding grooves 132 of the first cover part 131 in the main scanning direction. Thereby, both end edges 136 of the second cover part 134 enter the sliding groove 132 of the first cover part 131. Thereby, the second cover part 134 is configured to slide along the sliding groove 132 of the first cover part 131.

  Similarly to the first cover portion 131, the second cover portion 134 is opened at both ends in the main scanning direction toward the center of the second cover portion 134 in the main scanning direction, and the conveyance direction of the medium 100 A sliding groove 135 formed along the line is provided. The third cover portion 137 is disposed such that both end edges 138 in the main scanning direction enter the sliding groove 135 of the second cover portion 134. Thereby, the third cover part 137 is configured to slide along the sliding groove 135 of the second cover part 134. Further, the third cover portion 137 has a blower 140 that blows the dry air stream Fd between the medium 100 and the cover portion 130, or the medium 100 and the cover portion 130 by heating the dry air stream Fd. A heating means 145 such as a heater for heating a region located therebetween is provided.

  The cover part 130 is arranged such that the sliding groove 132 of the first cover part 131 and the sliding groove 135 of the second cover part 134 are oriented along the transport direction of the medium 100. For this reason, the 1st cover part 131 and the 2nd cover part 134, and the 2nd cover part 134 and the 3rd cover part 137 can slide in the direction along the conveyance direction of media 100, respectively, and can slide mutually. It is possible.

  Therefore, when the medium 100 is set in the printing apparatus main body 2 and printing is started, the first cover part 131 and the second cover part 134, and the second cover part 134 and the third cover part 137 are respectively connected to the media. The printing is performed in a state where a part of the conveyance path 8 is covered with the cover unit 130 by expanding in the conveyance direction 100. In this case, the area between the medium 100 and the cover unit 130 is heated by the blower 140 and the heating unit 145 to dry the ink on the medium 100. In addition, in order to hold | maintain the state in which this cover part 130 was expanded, it is preferable to provide fixing means, such as adsorption | suction by a magnet and a locking pin, in each member which comprises the cover part 130. FIG.

  Further, when printing in the printing apparatus 1 is completed, the cover unit 130 is shortened as necessary. That is, the first cover portion 131 and the second cover portion 134, and the second cover portion 134 and the third cover portion 137 are contracted in the transport direction of the medium 100, respectively, thereby the first cover portion 131 and the second cover portion. 134 and the third cover portion 137 overlap each other, and the length of the cover portion 130 in the transport direction of the medium 100 is shortened. As a result, the cover part 130 is in a state in which at least a part of the first cover part 131, the second cover part 134, and the third cover part 137 is retracted from the position covering the transport path 8. As a result, the printing apparatus 1 exposes a portion of the platen 7 of the printing apparatus main body 2 on the drying apparatus 20 side, making it easy to perform maintenance such as setting the medium 100 on the printing apparatus main body 2.

  The cover part 130 can expand and contract the cover part 130 with a simple configuration by providing the sliding groove 132 in the first cover part 131 or the sliding groove 135 in the second cover part 134 as described above. Therefore, the maintainability when the cover 130 is provided can be easily improved. When retreating from the position covering the transport path 8, it is not necessary to slide both the second cover part 134 and the third cover part 137, and only the third cover part 137 is slid as necessary. You may retract | save from the position which covers the conveyance path | route 8. FIG. In this modification, the cover part 130 is divided into a first cover part 131, a second cover part 134, and a third cover part 137, but the cover part 130 is divided in other configurations. Also good. As long as the cover part 130 is divided into at least a first cover part 131 and a second cover part 134 and is configured to be slidable in the conveyance direction of the medium 100, the number of divisions of the cover part 130 is not limited.

  Further, in the printing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the cover 25 is provided with the hinge 23 and the rotation connecting portion 24 as members for expanding and contracting the cover 25, but the cover 25 is expanded and contracted. As a member for doing, both do not need to be provided. FIG. 17 is a modified example of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of the cover portion when only a hinge is provided as a member for expanding and contracting the cover portion. As a member for expanding and contracting the cover part 150, only a hinge 155 that connects the first cover part 151 and the second cover part 152 in a relatively rotatable manner may be provided. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the cover unit 150 is divided in the vertical direction, that is, the conveyance direction of the medium 100 to form a first cover unit 151 and a second cover unit 152, and the first cover unit 151 located on the upper side. In addition, a blower 160 and a heating means 165 are provided. Further, the second cover portion 152 is disposed in a state of covering the transport path 8.

  The cover portion 150 is connected to the lower end portion of the first cover portion 151 and the upper end portion of the second cover portion 152 by a hinge 155 so that the first cover portion 151 rotates with respect to the second cover portion 152. It is possible. The cover unit 150 configured as described above places the first cover unit 151 in a state of covering the conveyance path 8 when printing is performed by the printing apparatus 1, and the medium 100 is configured by the blower 160 and the heating unit 165. The area between the cover 100 and the cover 150 is heated to dry the ink on the medium 100.

  18 is a cross-sectional view of the cover portion showing a state where the cover portion shown in FIG. 17 is folded. When printing by the printing apparatus 1 is completed, the cover unit 150 is folded as necessary. That is, by rotating the first cover portion 151 about the rotation axis of the hinge 155, the first cover portion 151 is moved away from the conveyance path 8 of the medium 100 in the direction of separating the first cover portion 151 from the second cover. It is rotated relative to the part 152.

  The first cover portion 151 is thus rotated in a direction away from the conveyance path 8 to be rotated by about 180 °, and the second cover portion 152 is opposite to the surface on which the conveyance path 8 is located. To be located. That is, the first cover portion 151 is retracted from the position covering the transport path 8 by rotating relative to the second cover portion 152, and the surface of the second cover portion 152 on which the transport path 8 is located. Overlap the opposite surface. As a result, the printing apparatus 1 exposes a portion of the platen 7 of the printing apparatus main body 2 on the drying apparatus 20 side, making it easy to perform maintenance such as setting the medium 100 on the printing apparatus main body 2.

  FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the cover portion showing a state where the cover portion shown in FIG. 17 is folded, and is an explanatory view showing another example of the folded state. In addition, when only the hinge 155 which connects the 1st cover part 151 and the 2nd cover part 152 so that relative rotation is provided as a member for expanding and contracting the cover part 150, the 1st cover part 151 is provided. When retracting from the position covering the transport path 8, it is not necessary to overlap the second cover portion 152. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, when the first cover portion 151 is retracted from the position covering the transport path 8, a portion on the drying device 20 side of the platen 7 of the printing apparatus main body 2 is exposed, and the medium You may be comprised so that it can rotate to such an extent that maintenance of 100 sets etc. becomes easy. In order to stop at this position, the hinge 155 may be provided with a stop mechanism or a separate stopper to stop the rotation. If the first cover portion 151 is configured to facilitate maintenance such as setting of the media 100 when the first cover portion 151 is retracted from the position covering the transport path 8, the first cover portion 151 may be provided after the retract from the position covering the transport path 8. The form does not matter.

  Moreover, the cover part 150 may be divided into two or more, and may be divided into three or more. In this case, when the cover parts 150 adjacent in the transport direction of the medium 100 are connected to each other by a hinge 155 so as to be retracted from a position covering the transport path 8, more parts can be retracted. it can. Moreover, in the cover part 150, since the part evacuated from the position which covers the conveyance path | route 8 can be made compact, maintainability can be improved. Furthermore, for example, it is also possible to change the area that can be enlarged or reduced according to the situation, for example, it is possible to reduce only one of the three divisions.

  In the printing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the printing apparatus main body 2 is provided such that the head 4 moves along the Y bar 5, and printing is performed while the head 4 reciprocates in the main scanning direction during printing. However, the head 4 may be provided extending in the main scanning direction. That is, the head 4 is provided so as to be able to eject ink over the entire printing range in the main scanning direction, and during printing, the head 4 does not move in the main scanning direction, but the entire printing range in the main scanning direction. On the other hand, you may be comprised so that it can print at once. If the printing apparatus main body 2 is configured to be able to eject ink to the medium 100 and transport the medium 100 after the ink has landed to the position of the drying apparatus 20, The configuration does not matter.

  Further, the printing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment and modification of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modification, and may be configured by appropriately combining the components of these embodiment and modification. Good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing apparatus 2 Printing apparatus main body 4 Head 7 Platen 8 Conveyance path 10 Drive part 11 Drive roller 12 Take-up roller 13 Media supply roller 14 Driven roller 15 Positioning roller 18 Partition plate 20 Drying device 21 1st heating body 22 2nd heating body 23, 155 Hinge (turning means)
24 Rotating connection (Rotating shaft)
25, 130, 150 Cover part 26, 131, 151 1st cover part (1st division body)
27, 134, 152 Second cover part (second divided body)
28 Cord heater (heating means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Heating body cover 31 1st heating body cover 32 2nd heating body cover 40 Blower 45,110 Blower fan 50 Widening duct 60 Blower path change wall part 61 Blower port 70 Side plate 71 Opening / closing guide (guide part)
72 engagement portion 73 guide support portion 75 mounting member 78 guide means 90 air blowing path 100 medium (recording medium)
120 Intake fan 132, 135 Sliding groove 136, 138 End edge 137 Third cover part (third divided body)
140,160 Blower 145,165 Heating means

Claims (7)

A printing apparatus comprising a cover that covers at least a part of a conveyance path for conveying a recording medium,
The cover portion is configured such that at least a part of a portion covering the transport path is freely expandable and contractable , and a flat plate-shaped first divided body and a flat plate-shaped second divided body in the transport direction of the recording medium. And at least two,
Rotating means for connecting the first divided body and the second divided body so as to be rotatable relative to the other between the first divided body and the second divided body. Is provided,
The first divided body and the second divided body are relatively rotatable by the rotation means, and the rotation means moves in a direction away from a position covering the transport path. The printing apparatus is configured to be retractable from the conveyance path . The printing device is an inkjet printing device;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance path covered by the cover unit is a part where the recording medium after inkjet printing is conveyed.   The first divided body and the second divided body can be folded so as to be folded,
  3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first divided body and the second divided body are arranged so as to face each other and are held in the folded state. A printing apparatus comprising a cover that covers at least a part of a conveyance path for conveying a recording medium,
The cover portion is configured such that at least a part of a portion covering the transport path is freely expandable and contractable, and is divided into at least a first divided body and a second divided body that are divided in the transport direction of the recording medium. Divided,
Rotating means for connecting the first divided body and the second divided body so as to be rotatable relative to the other between the first divided body and the second divided body. Is provided,
The first divided body and the second divided body are configured to be retractable from a position where at least one of the first divided body and the second divided body covers the transport path by being relatively rotated by the rotating means.
The rotating means has a rotating shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording medium,
The cover portion is provided with a rotation shaft on one side across the rotation means in the transport direction of the recording medium, and a guide support portion on the other side.
The guide support portion is formed in a slit shape and constitutes guide means together with a guide portion into which the guide support portion enters,
The guide portion guides the guide support portion when the cover portion is expanded or contracted,
The cover portion, the first divided member and the second divided member are scaled freely supported the pivot shaft and the said guide means, printing device. The rotation means is hinged, said cover portion during scaling of the cover portion by number該蝶is configured so as not to protrude into the conveying path side, the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . A printing apparatus comprising a cover that covers at least a part of a conveyance path for conveying a recording medium,
The cover portion is configured such that at least a part of a portion covering the transport path is freely expandable and contractable, and is divided into at least a first divided body and a second divided body that are divided in the transport direction of the recording medium. Divided,
The first divided body is provided with a sliding groove along the conveyance direction of the recording medium,
The second split body, both end edges are configured to slide along the sliding groove enters into the sliding groove, printing device.   A printing apparatus comprising a cover that covers at least a part of a conveyance path for conveying a recording medium,
  The cover portion is configured such that at least a part of a portion covering the transport path is freely expandable and contractible,
  The printing device is an inkjet printing device;
  The conveyance path covered by the cover portion is a portion where the recording medium after inkjet printing is conveyed,
  The cover portion is folded in a retracting direction from a position covering the transport path, and is in a state of facing the recording medium when performing printing, so that the cover section is positioned to cover the transport path, and the recording medium A printing apparatus that serves as a drying apparatus for drying landed ink.

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